DRINKING WATER

GettyImages-2207623248_450_300 Success Is The Break That Never Happened: How Embedded Acoustic Intelligence In Ultrasonic Meters Prevents Failure

Embedded acoustic sensing in ultrasonic meters enables continuous leak monitoring, helping utilities detect problems earlier, reduce water loss, and shift from reactive repairs to proactive infrastructure management.

DRINKING WATER CASE STUDIES AND WHITE PAPERS

  • A Better Approach To Iron And Manganese Removal

    The aesthetic impact of iron and manganese on finished water — altering its color, odor, and/or taste — is the top driver of municipal utility customer complaints. 

  • The Science Of Mixing And Improving Water Quality In Water Storage Tanks

    Water storage tanks and reservoirs are a critical component of distribution systems, yet they can pose a significant challenge for water utilities as they often have a negative impact on water quality. Water quality problems can develop due to low turnover and/or inadequate mixing resulting in short-circuiting. While the benefits of maximizing tank turnover to minimize water age are generally understood, it is only recently that extensive research on mixing characteristics of storage tanks has been undertaken that has provided insight on what causes water quality problems and expertise in designing inlet/outlet pipe configurations, or mixing systems, to achieve complete mixing and maintain water quality.

  • Water Management Tips For Natural Disasters

    Remote water shut-off valves and preemptive planning enable municipalities to protect water infrastructure and respond effectively during natural disasters, ensuring public safety and service continuity.

  • Plant Taps Pacific Ocean As Source Of Drinking Water

    With its dedication in December 2015, the $1 billion Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant opened a spigot to the Pacific Ocean, creating a new, drought-proof source of drinking water for 3.1 million people in San Diego County, CA.

  • PVDF Hollow-Fiber Ultrafiltration Membranes Selected For Plant Upgrade

    The City of Delaware, Ohio's Water Treatment Plant (WTP) started operating in 1889. Under the EPA's Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (LT2), the WTP's feed water is classified as Bin 2, which requires a 4-log removal of Cryptosporidium. As a result, the City would convert its 6.0 MGD lime softening plant to a 7.2 MGD membrane treatment facility utilizing a 4.5 MGD ultrafiltration (UF) system to comply. A total of seven proposals were received during the bidding phase of the UF system, which was narrowed down to three based on best projected capital and operating costs and membrane performance. The three selections would be piloted for further evaluation. Read the full case study to learn more.

  • Why You Need More Than Meters In Your Advanced Metering Infrastructure

    By connecting sensors and instruments to AMI networks, water utilities can glean a level of visibility into and control over distribution systems that isn’t possible with flow data alone.

  • Case Study: Chemplast Chooses Aquatech's HERO™ & ZLD The Chemplast Mettur plant uses the Cauvery River as their main fresh water source. A strong industrial growth in recent years has resulted in water scarcity in the region. Industries are also required to follow strict environmental norms for discharging effluents. The intent of a Waste Water Treatment Plant was to have complete treatment, recycle and reuse of the combined waste water streams to reduce intake from the Cauvery River while not discharging any liquid waste streams. By Aquatech International Corporation
  • On The Rise: Quality Of Water, Quality Of Life — From Northeast U.S. To Central Africa

    Bbanda is a small rural village of about 1,100 people in southern central Uganda, located 45 minutes from the closest town of Mityana. There is no electricity or reliable source of drinking water. But thanks to the work of some engineering students, that’s about to change.

  • All-Terrain Ductile Iron Pipe Delivers For Washington County, Utah

    The Washington County Water Conservancy District was faced with the possibility of a severe water shortage and knew something had to be done. Explore how the solution they chose increased system efficiency and security, while also decreasing treatment and pumping costs. 

  • Hydra-Stop Insta-Valve 250 Works Under Pressure

    Buchanan County had a project which required repairs to a pumping station that boosts the pressure high enough to get water to a tank at the top of a mountain. The line pressure needed to accomplish this is 250 psi. After considering options, Buchanan County selected the Hydra-Stop Insta-Valve 250. Read the full project profile to learn more.

DRINKING WATER APPLICATION NOTES

  • Bridge Crossings And The Proper Use Of EX-TEND®, FLEX-TEND®, And Force Balanced FLEX-TEND Products
    11/1/2020

    Of particular interest when it comes to bridges is the locating of pressurized water lines on and under bridge structures. Pressurized pipelines can present a number of unique challenges to the design engineer and utility owner.

  • Application Note: Simultaneous Determination Of Total Bound Nitrogen (TNb) And Total Organic Carbon (TOC) In Aqueous Samples
    5/31/2011
    Total bound nitrogen (TNb) consists of dissolved ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, amines, and other organic nitrogen-containing compounds. TNb measurements represent an alternative to Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN) analysis for rapid screening of industrial wastewater, drinking water,agricultural run-off, and surface waters. By OI Analytical
  • Temperature Monitoring For Water Treatment
    4/29/2024

    Learn how to ensure compliance, monitor water temperature diligently, and implement robust measures to mitigate regulatory penalties.

  • Solution For Algae Blooms
    12/17/2015

    Harmsco® Filtration Products is pleased to offer a solution to the ever increasing blue-algae blooms in water sources. A multi-barrier approach is necessary to physically remove intact (algae and cyanobacteria) before they rupture in the treatment process and then remove extracellular cyanobacteria through adsorption.

  • Water Determination In Liquefied Petroleum Gas Using GC BID And Ionic Liquid Column Watercol™
    6/28/2018

    Water in petrochemical feedstocks can cause problems for processors. Freezing of pipe lines and valves and poisoning of expensive catalysts are just a few examples.

  • Removal Of Chloramines With Activated Carbon
    12/30/2013

    In order to reduce the formation of harmful disinfection byproducts in drinking water, alternative disinfectant use has become increasingly widespread. Monochloramine is a leading alternative disinfectant that offers advantages for municipal water. This tech brief details the removal of monochloramine using activated carbon.

  • Improved Determination Of Volatile Organic Compounds In Water By SPME And GC/MS
    6/21/2018

    The analysis of water for volatile organic compounds is important due to their toxicity. The current methods for this determination lack of sensitivity, selectivity or capability for automation. This paper presents the new ISO 17943 Standard using Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME) and GC/MS. The sample preparation by SPME enables limits of detection and easy automation of the whole method. GC/MS provides the required sensitivity and selectivity. This ISO Standard was validated by an interlaboratory trial, which results confirm the outstanding performance for this method.

  • Recording & Control: In Coagulant Dosage Applications For Potable Water Treatment
    7/1/2019

    Potable water or drinking water as it is also known, is water that is safe to drink or to be used in food preparation. Typically, in developed countries, tap water meets the required drinking water standards, although only a small proportion is actually drank or used in food preparation.

  • Ultrapure Water For Determination of Toxic Elements In Environmental Analyses
    4/10/2018

    In this paper the importance of reagent water quality for toxic element environmental analyses is discussed, and the suitability of fresh ultrapure water produced using MilliporeSigma water purification systems for ICP-OES and ICP-MS trace element analyses in environmental laboratories is demonstrated.

  • Remote Monitoring And Maintenance Through Digitalization
    3/17/2020

    Siemens offers to our customers the ability to make both process measurements, and to remotely monitor the activity and health of instrumentation, whether you have a SCADA, PLC or DCS system, or not. By utilizing Siemens’ ability to offer unparalleled flow, level, pressure, temperature, and weight measurement we can provide a broad range of process measurements and offer unequaled monitoring of the health and performance of those products.

DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS

The Series 3800 MEGA-COUPLING is a restrained coupling for similar and dissimilar pipe materials.

The flowIQ 4200 is designed for commercial and industrial applications. This smart meter exceeds expectations, offering an extended range and superior durability. Geared for large-scale applications, the flowIQ 4200 can read the intricacies of your water system, lay the groundwork for reduced waste, increase revenue and allows for a greater peace of mind.

The TrojanUVFlex is designed with features to make installation and operation simpler, faster, and more cost-effective than ever before. Built on the proven TrojanUV Solo Lamp Technology platform, TrojanUVFlex allows for energy-efficient high-intensity delivery of UV light in an extremely compact footprint.

The ULTRAPEN™ PTBT3 ORP & Temperature Pen is Bluetooth Enabled for use with your mobile devices.

Geospace Technologies offers a complete line of AMI water meter connector cables specifically designed and manufactured to meet the rugged requirements for in-pit, underwater applications. Geospace’s unique design ensures total moisture sealing for even the toughest underwater environments, yet they are easily re-entered for troubleshooting a transponder or for a meter swap-out. Versions are available that utilize molded-in-place or potted terminators for sealing. Either version is totally intermateable with the Itron Inline Connector.

Endress+Hauser is committed to your business, for improved plant performance.

LATEST INSIGHTS ON DRINKING WATER

DRINKING WATER VIDEOS

In Raleigh, N.C., there's a house... or what looks like a house. What's hidden inside is more important than most people realize.

The Orange County Water District (OCWD) has long been an innovative leader in indirect potable reuse. An integral component of its Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS) – a 100 million gallon per day advanced water purification facility – is reverse osmosis membrane technology.

Appearing on The Weather Channel's "Wake Up With Al" morning show, water expert Dan Theobald puts drinking water to the test by measuring total dissolved solids (TDS) in tap water samples from Brooklyn, Manhattan, and New Jersey, as well as bottled water samples.

After rising public pressure and lawsuits over health concerns, the city of Newark, New Jersey (a half-hour from New York City) is undertaking one of the most ambitious and impactful infrastructure projects in the country: replacing all of its residential lead service lines within 2 years.

The Eclipse i-Series model #9800i-GENESIS is the newest Intelligent Flushing & Monitoring Station Kupferle offers to maintain safe residual levels and remove DBPs from consumers' water. This permanently installed station incorporates a built-in chlorine analyzer to measure and record disinfectant residual levels based on a programmed sampling schedule.

ABOUT DRINKING WATER

In most developed countries, drinking water is regulated to ensure that it meets drinking water quality standards. In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administers these standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)

Drinking water considerations can be divided into three core areas of concern:

  1. Source water for a community’s drinking water supply
  2. Drinking water treatment of source water
  3. Distribution of treated drinking water to consumers

Drinking Water Sources

Source water access is imperative to human survival. Sources may include groundwater from aquifers, surface water from rivers and streams and seawater through a desalination process. Direct or indirect water reuse is also growing in popularity in communities with limited access to sources of traditional surface or groundwater. 

Source water scarcity is a growing concern as populations grow and move to warmer, less aqueous climates; climatic changes take place and industrial and agricultural processes compete with the public’s need for water. The scarcity of water supply and water conservation are major focuses of the American Water Works Association.

Drinking Water Treatment

Drinking Water Treatment involves the removal of pathogens and other contaminants from source water in order to make it safe for humans to consume. Treatment of public drinking water is mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S. Common examples of contaminants that need to be treated and removed from water before it is considered potable are microorganisms, disinfectants, disinfection byproducts, inorganic chemicals, organic chemicals and radionuclides.

There are a variety of technologies and processes that can be used for contaminant removal and the removal of pathogens to decontaminate or treat water in a drinking water treatment plant before the clean water is pumped into the water distribution system for consumption.

The first stage in treating drinking water is often called pretreatment and involves screens to remove large debris and objects from the water supply. Aeration can also be used in the pretreatment phase. By mixing air and water, unwanted gases and minerals are removed and the water improves in color, taste and odor.

The second stage in the drinking water treatment process involves coagulation and flocculation. A coagulating agent is added to the water which causes suspended particles to stick together into clumps of material called floc. In sedimentation basins, the heavier floc separates from the water supply and sinks to form sludge, allowing the less turbid water to continue through the process.

During the filtration stage, smaller particles not removed by flocculation are removed from the treated water by running the water through a series of filters. Filter media can include sand, granulated carbon or manufactured membranes. Filtration using reverse osmosis membranes is a critical component of removing salt particles where desalination is being used to treat brackish water or seawater into drinking water.

Following filtration, the water is disinfected to kill or disable any microbes or viruses that could make the consumer sick. The most traditional disinfection method for treating drinking water uses chlorine or chloramines. However, new drinking water disinfection methods are constantly coming to market. Two disinfection methods that have been gaining traction use ozone and ultra-violet (UV) light to disinfect the water supply.

Drinking Water Distribution

Drinking water distribution involves the management of flow of the treated water to the consumer. By some estimates, up to 30% of treated water fails to reach the consumer. This water, often called non-revenue water, escapes from the distribution system through leaks in pipelines and joints, and in extreme cases through water main breaks.

A public water authority manages drinking water distribution through a network of pipes, pumps and valves and monitors that flow using flow, level and pressure measurement sensors and equipment.

Water meters and metering systems such as automatic meter reading (AMR) and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) allows a water utility to assess a consumer’s water use and charge them for the correct amount of water they have consumed.